The material side of Matisse

Matisse's Odalisque With Yellow Persian Robe And Anemones, 1937
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Henri Matisse is considered one of the 20th century's most influential painters. But there was another side to the great artist.

A new Royal Academy exhibition is to explore an obsession that shaped the Frenchman's work - his never-before-seen collection of fabrics.

The show will display Matisse's enormous collection of textiles from all over the world and reveal the paintings they inspired.

Born in 1869, Matisse grew up in the textile town of Bohain. He hailed from a family of weavers, which sparked his obsession with fabric design.

Just before the First World War, during the most radical period of his painting career, his most important inspiration was a length of material decorated with flowers called toile de Jouy. This modest piece of cotton featured in Still Life With Blue Tablecloth (1906) and then dominated later works such as Portrait of Greta Moll (1908).

After the war his work continued in Nice - where he transformed his studios into lavishly-swathed private theatres. The Royal Academy says: "Models in Arab robes, silk sashes and flimsy harem pants posed on cushions in front of folding screens draped with fabric.

"Many of these are recognisable from his paintings, such as the heavy pierced lattice-patterned moucharabie, and the bold red and green Egyptian curtain."

The show will include several of his famous dressingup costumes from this period, including his Moroccan robes.

One of his most famous inventions, the paper cutout, was inspired by Zairean Kuba fabrics. Matisse was galvanised by the simple geometrical patterns which he called "African velvets".

The exhibition is based on research by author Hilary Spurling's new biography of Matisse. She said of his textiles: "This is what he called his 'working library'. It was partarchive, part-tool kit."

Matisse, His Art and His Textiles runs from 5 March until 30 May 2005. Call 0870 126 0268 or go to www.royalacademy.org.uk

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